At first glance, Ethen Ng’s artworks look like detailed charcoal sketches. Look closer though, and you will realise that each piece has been painstakingly created using only ballpoint pens. A self-taught artist from Penang, Ethen’s artwork shows animals with batik motifs, in a unique attempt to create awareness about cruelty to animals.

Apart from being a full-time artist and a proclaimed animal lover, Ethen also dedicates his time to conducting art classes for school children and adults. His passion is to explore new techniques for creating and experimenting with art. Ethen’s work has caught the imagination of many and has been shared extensively on Chinese social media. His artwork will be on a solo exhibition at George Town Festival.